Nos Astra Nights
by T.A. White
Summary: Introducing Tirahin Alatus, an unfulfilled asari dancer who is willing to risk everything to prove her worth. Game characters featured. A trilogy of short stories. Visit www dot nosastranights dot com for a trailer, downloads, art, and more information.
1. Resolution

**Nos Astra Nights (M)  
**

**Part 1: Resolution**

_Can a dancer make a difference?_

_

* * *

_Nos Astra, the glowing starport and capital city of the planet Illium, stretched back beyond the looming dusk. Located in the temperate polar region, it was perfectly practical to enjoy the open-air balconies of the highest skyscrapers completely naked, even at this time, which was precisely what Tirahin was doing.

Her days were spent dancing at Eternity, the local hotel and lounge bar near the Nos Astra Exchange. Many other asari were employed there, cogs in the machine that perpetually ensnared the city's wealthy clientele. The job paid well, and it kept her in great shape, but Tirahin rarely enjoyed it. What's more, her apartment was only two floors below the noisy bar, so she could never truly disconnect from the place that she'd grown to hate.

Unless she was in the pool. Built for her by Eternity's rich volus co-owner, Nuri Pin, to secure the continued service of his favourite dancer after Tirahin quit over a year ago, it occupied most of her apartment's modest balcony. Stripped of all attire, Tirahin submerged herself in the warm water. The tangible silence enveloped her. She bathed for hours; her worries drifted into the distant past.

She'd not always felt like this. There was a time when she was proud to entertain with her body – when she felt at one with her peers. But Liara had changed all that.

Dr. Liara T'Soni, daughter of the infamous asari, Matriarch Benezia, came to Illium following the death of her close friend, the human galactic hero, Commander Shepard. Tirahin danced for her, when Liara first ventured to Eternity. Immediately, she knew that this client was different. Liara was alone for a start; she also sat upright and stiff, hands on her lap, as though being interviewed for a job. Tirahin assumed that she was dissatisfied with the performance, until Liara issued a sizeable tip. Afterwards, they drank together in the bar. Liara was nervous and awkward, but persisted.

As the months passed, their friendship grew, and Liara revealed more about herself – always after Tirahin had danced for her. She spoke of her fascination with the Protheans, and the mission against Saren Arterius. She disclosed the events surrounding Shepard's untimely death, and her ensuing experience with the Shadow Broker, which led to the loss of another friend, and her surrendering of Shepard's body to Cerberus, the pro-human terrorists. All of this had left her confused and direction-less. Liara was moving in unfamiliar circles, and she was lonely.

Tirahin listened, and soon Liara came to realise that she had to face the Shadow Broker after all.

One night at Liara's, following an unpleasant evening's work at Eternity – "all my clients are _bosh_'_tets_!", which Liara greeted with a poor attempt at discreetly examining Tirahin's facial markings – Liara suggested that she quit dancing and become her personal assistant, to help her pursue the Shadow Broker. But change was hard. It was the reason why she'd wasted the last twenty years dancing.

Tirahin declined, and Liara found another assistant. As Liara's work took over, and Tirahin fell back into routine, they saw less and less of one another. But Liara had sown the seed, and tonight that seed had come to fruition. Commander Shepard was alive, and coming here, to Illium! Cerberus had done it, just as Liara had hoped!

Earlier that evening, a Blue Suns mercenary had strutted over to Tirahin's table, and proceeded to drop less-than-subtle hints as to his imminent fame. When Tirahin upped her game, he hung around, mixing drinks from the four corners of the galaxy – many of which were not congenial with human chemistry, let alone one another – and tipping her like crazy. He eventually boasted that he'd been hired to kill Shepard, and destroy a new Cerberus-built _Normandy_, which he claimed the commander was gallivanting around in, on Shepard's arrival at Nos Astra. Partially realising he'd said something that he shouldn't have, he keyed his omni-tool, deposited one last tip (he had presumably input an extra couple of zeros more onto the end of the sum than intended), and staggered out of the bar. When Brisaya, Nuri Pin's asari business partner, wasn't looking, Tirahin ran out after the mercenary. But he was nowhere in sight.

Tirahin emerged from the warm water, tingling under the droplets that rolled from her blue skin. She had found purpose.

* * *

The morning brought second thoughts. Gazing out of her apartment window, the dark sky persisted, the light from Tasale not reaching Nos Astra until midday. What if the mercenary was wrong? How could the famous Spectre be alive? Cerberus supposedly had limitless resources, but to bring someone back from the dead? _And_ rebuild the _Normandy_?

A search of the extranet certainly revealed no clues. Even if Shepard was alive, surely one hapless mercenary wasn't a threat. And why come to Illium? To see Liara, perhaps? But Cerberus wouldn't invest colossal effort in bringing Shepard back, without an ulterior motive. If they had succeeded, and built the commander a new ship, then undoubtedly they had bigger plans for humanity's saviour than a visit to Nos Astra.

Tirahin needed answers, and that was enough to set her path. It could be dangerous, but she knew she was up to it. Despite being no huntress – her military training had lasted all of five years before she'd dropped out – she could fight. There'd be no more wasting of years, of decades. This was her opportunity.

Should she tell Liara? No. If she stopped the mercenary, it would lay the foundations for renewing their friendship. Tirahin knew they'd drifted apart because of Liara's work, but she also knew that Liara was disappointed in her, for not becoming her assistant. If she alone saved Shepard, well…Liara would be proud. She could join her, and together they'd right the wrongs of the galaxy, starting with the Shadow Broker!

Tirahin accessed her data terminal and called her landlord. She informed him that she was moving off-world, and transferred her remaining rent. Then she keyed for the extranet. She created a false bank account, withdrew all her credits, and paid them into the new account. The bank would trace this, of course, but procedure would buy her a day or two, by which time Tirahin Alatus would be in the Terminus Systems.

It didn't take long to pack. She took a last look at the framed holo of herself and Liara, which a kind male turian had taken in one of Nos Libertos's arcology skyscrapers, when they'd holidayed there. They were inside one of the non-climate-controlled booths, where tourists could sample Illium's (albeit toned down) equatorial temperatures. They were both dripping with sweat, and laughing.

Tirahin gently placed the holo back into her small storage crate. It now housed everything that she'd ever owned, save for the light armour on her back, and of course, her omni-tool. She stared at her belongings, an empty sadness growing inside. Even after the mission she wouldn't need any of this.

By the time the crate was collected by an old acquaintance from waste disposal, the sun was peeking from behind the adjacent skyscrapers. Tirahin glanced around her apartment for the last time, then stepped out into the corridor.

* * *

Nuri Pin reacted as expected, not believing for a moment that she was quitting, and taking his cue to offer her a larger apartment with outdoor _and_ indoor pool. Tirahin wished that she could've seen his face behind the breathing mask, when she told him that Omega's Afterlife had offered her a three-storey condo with five pools, two jacuzzis, and a sauna. He was going to have a good time explaining that to Brisaya.

Sat in the departure lounge, Tirahin recited her plan. Thanks to her old friend, Elnora, who had contacts with the Eclipse mercenaries' Sisterhood, she'd discovered the location of a Blue Suns hideout. This wasn't a single mercenary, but an entire team. And awkwardly, they were right under the nose of her previous life, in a disused cab depot below the spaceport. According to Elnora, they'd been there about a week.

She'd need to become practically invisible to infiltrate them. Tirahin examined her left forearm, lamenting her omni-tool's lack of cloaking tech, and wondering if it – and she – was still up to the job. The omni-tool was ancient, but her father had known a thing or two about building them. She also taught the young asari a few tricks before she died.

Alright, first things first. She could help herself significantly, which was why she was leaving Illium in one hour, on a civilian freighter bound for Omega. Only she wouldn't be leaving Illium at all.

* * *

The _Haj_'_hen_, an unremarkable, batarian-owned, flying conjunction of cargo containers, groaned into motion. The main deck was crowded. Tirahin casually wandered amongst her fellow passengers, ensuring that she was seen. Later, if anyone asked them about her specific facial markings, they'd be able to confirm she was on board. There were also 32 other asari travelling – the reason she'd chosen this flight. They'd be her cover, on arrival at Omega.

Tirahin strolled down to the deserted lower deck, which she'd scouted upon boarding. She entered a large cargo hold, and made for the bay door. She activated her omni-tool, its bright, holographic shape extending from her forearm. Keying its interface, she raised it to the door's control panel. A moment later, security was bypassed, and the door ground fractionally open. Cold air blasted into the hold. Squinting through the stinging wind, Tirahin hacked the mainframe, ensuring that the crew still saw the door as sealed. It was important that none of them, no matter how lax they seemed, were given any hint of what she was about to do.

With the computer fooled, she programmed the door to close again in ten seconds, then deactivated her omni-tool. She closed her eyes, calming her mind. Blue ripples shimmered around her form. Her biotics flared, and a mass effect field encompassed her entire body. She leapt from the ship.

* * *

**Part 2 now available - see Chapter 2.**

Visit the official website www dot nosastranights dot com for a trailer, artwork, downloads, and more information. Thanks for reading!

Mass Effect (c) 2010 BioWare, Electronic Arts.

Nos Astra Nights (c) 2010 T.A. White.**  
**


	2. Sacrifice

******Nos Astra Nights (M)  
**

**Part 2: Sacrifice  
**

_A Spectre, or an illusion?_

_

* * *

_

The warmth of the night had all but dried her black armour. Tirahin had hoped to depart the freighter before it reached the lake, but it must've accelerated faster than she'd anticipated. She left the harbour and made her way into the lower city. She could've hailed a cab, but on Illium, they weren't entirely discreet. So instead, head bowed, she began the long jog back home.

* * *

By noon of the following day, Tirahin was in familiar territory. She'd stopped only once on her return journey, to wash and eat in a downbeat district that she'd never visited before (her omni-tool was configured to access the false bank account she'd created). She used service elevators to ascend the skyscraper she'd once called home, and made her way to the spaceport, via the Nos Astra Exchange.

She skulked in the shadows, scouting the busy walkways. She averted her eyes as a group of fellow asari flocked past. It would take only one familiar face to blow her cover. She barely knew the spaceport, her departure yesterday being her first visit in years. She did her best to read the signs and directions from a distance, and covertly consulted her omni-tool's maps.

As she slipped around the outskirts of the complex, she noticed an unusually high police presence. Positioning herself behind a stairway, close to the tower's edge, she deduced that she was above where Elnora had placed the Blue Suns hideout, in the old cab depot. She looked over the barrier for a way down. Other than a small balcony, perhaps 100 metres below, there was nothing down there but the black void of the lower city.

Across the square, two officers – an asari and a male turian – finished questioning a quarian female, and started towards Tirahin's stairway. By the time she noticed them they were practically on top of her. She backed further into the shade of the stairs, observing the holo of an unfamiliar asari, who bore striking red facial markings, in the turian's hand. Uncertain if her nerve would hold, should she break cover, she glanced again over the edge of the tower, then looked apprehensively at the crowded vantage points, which extended perpendicular to the tower's face.

Resisting the urge to create a mass effect field – a glowing biotic was hardly inconspicuous – she vaulted the barrier. Plummeting towards the small balcony, she flared her biotics ten metres from impact, reducing her mass, and the mass of space-time all around her. Too late – she smacked hard into the metallic floor.

* * *

Tirahin woke with a start. She was alone on the balcony. The dark corridor beyond appeared deserted. She crawled inside and leant against the wall, nursing her head. Something was different. She realised with a shock that the sun was setting. She activated her omni-tool. _Five hours_? She'd been out cold for _five hours_?

Jumping to her feet, she keyed her omni-tool, requesting the map for this level. There was no map. It was one of the abandoned areas that she'd noticed on an earlier inspection of the tower's plans. According to the database, this level was vacated three years ago. The fusty smell wafting towards her seemed to confirm that as fact. Perhaps this _was_ the old cab depot. Switching on the omni-tool's flashlight, she readied her biotics, took a deep breath, and moved into the darkness.

The corridor turned a corner. She inched around the outside wall, flashlight held high, trying to get a fix on what lay ahead. The passage opened into a large, circular room. As she stepped inside, she saw that it had been gutted by fire. Rows of seats, which had clearly once circled the room, were contorted and fabric-less; shattered control panels lined the walls; the ceiling had part-collapsed, revealing the bulkhead that separated this level from the next. The floor was elevated above a central pit. Tirahin trod carefully towards it, shards of glass cracking underfoot. The pit looked like it had once housed a computer mainframe. The wreckage lay in a small crater. A bomb blast?

Several corridors led from the main chamber to adjacent rooms, all of them bathed in the same darkness. Although the fire hadn't reached these areas, they bore the shaken hallmarks of a blast. And still there were no bodies, or even strewn personal belongings. Maybe it had simply been the vacant site of a weapons test.

She moved on to the foyer, the only place she'd not explored. Here the darkness receded somewhat, and her footsteps were joined by the distant hum of the city. She approached the empty windows, and looked out across a massive, undercover cab landing zone, its cavernous expanse sliced from the building. Her mouth dried up. She breathed deeply, reining in her nerves.

To the left, Nos Astra was visible through the wide bay door, neon lanes of air-traffic streaking across the orange vista. She panned the flashlight over the landing zone. A few cabs were still here, tilted on their sides. They appeared in good shape, though were unlikely to fly anywhere but straight down. To the right, a service garage was nestled in the corner, another abandoned cab beside it.

She made for the exit onto the zone, where a fallen news kiosk blocked the open doorway. She used her biotics to gently lift it aside, then stepped out.

As in the terminal, the doors that would've joined the landing area to the rest of this level were sealed shut. The site had been completely marooned. If her omni-tool hadn't told her otherwise, she would've sworn that the whole place was in fallout.

She shone her flashlight towards the small garage in the corner, and advanced towards it. As she neared, she noticed that the cab here wasn't tilted on its side like the others. A light suddenly flashed on its dashboard. She shut off the flashlight and took a knee. Her right hand made a fist, blue flames rolling around it. She strained her ears, but heard only the city.

She crept closer to the vehicle. It was a personal shuttle, empty, but on standby. She pinned herself to the garage wall. Still no sound. She peeked inside – and had to double-take. A small, back-lit fish tank sat on a workbench on the far side of the room. It emitted a blue glow, which didn't quite reach the room's dark corners, and contained a single Illium skald fish.

"Marcus, it's Huth."

Tirahin recoiled out of sight. There was a communicator in the room, and what sounded like a batarian on the other end.

"The ship's secure." The batarian – Huth – snorted. "The crew were as weak as you are pathetic! You'll be hurling again when I tell you what we did to them!"

Tirahin's heart sank. Shepard…

"Marcus? You there?"

Silence.

"Not again! _Amateur_!

"Look, if you can hear me, the cannon's on board the freighter and ready to go. So get rid of that damn fish and meet us at the _Normandy_'s dock! Shepard's inbound, forty minutes!"

Tirahin's skin prickled all over, relief mixing with desperation. She focused her breathing, attempting to slow her heart rate.

She turned the flashlight back on, then stepped inside the garage, omni-tool and biotic-hand both raised, ready to fight. Her flashlight quickly settled on a Blue Suns helmet, which lay on a cargo crate in the far-right corner. It was likely the source of the transmission. Something moved in her peripheral vision. She jerked the flashlight towards it, revealing a Blue Suns mercenary with a submachine gun trained on her. He fired.

Her kinetic barriers initially deflected the volley. With no cover, she kneeled, keying her omni-tool to activate her tech armour. As the kinetic barriers fell beneath the barrage, the armour's holographic shield expanded, bulking her up until she looked like a small krogan, and deflecting the continuing wave of bullets.

The tech shield itself suddenly verged on collapse. Tirahin was about to launch a biotic barrier, when the mercenary's gun clicked – he'd emptied his thermal clip. As he reloaded, she flared her biotics, and hurled a powerful singularity at him. It connected, a muted explosion blasting his body into the wall. The explosive force shattered the nearby fish tank, sending shards arcing across the room. Tirahin turned her face away, the remains of her shield nullifying the few fragments that reached her.

She rushed over to the mercenary. Without helmet, his dilated brown eyes stared vacantly up at her. It was the human who'd visited her in Eternity. His neck was broken. He'd emerged from an unseen door, which faced the far-right corner of the room, and led to a small, partitioned kitchen area. He'd been sick in the sink, and there was an untouched glass of a green liquor on the side.

Tirahin ran to the remains of the fish tank, slipping on the wet surface. The skald fish was absent from the workbench. She found it dead on the floor, impaled by a piece of glass. She wept. "Forgive me. Know that your spark remains. Keelah se'lai."

She grabbed the mercenary's helmet from the crate, and ran to the waiting shuttle. Wiping her eyes, she prepared the craft for flight, then sped across the landing zone, out into the evening air.

Banking left, she soared above the tower, and made a pass over the docking ports. All the berthed ships were freighters, and nothing seemed out of the ordinary. She flew to the far side of the spaceport. Putting on the Blue Suns helmet, she descended towards a landing zone.

Though open-faced, the helmet afforded some protection from prying eyes, as she marched through the spaceport's atrium.

"_Marcus_!"

Tirahin jolted at the voice from inside the helmet. _Huth_.

Two females, a human and a turian, stopped their conversation and looked at her. "Are you alright?" said the turian, as other passers-by stopped and stared.

"Who's there?" said Huth.

Tirahin smiled, nodded to the turian, and made a swift exit from view.

"The Blue Suns!" someone said, as she slipped down a narrow alleyway between a café and a bar. It was a dead end. A tall, tinted window overlooked the docking ports. The back door to the bar was open, revealing a store room.

"I can hear you," said Huth. "You're in the atrium, aren't you? I heard the loud speaker."

She held her breath, not daring to speak.

"I take it you've killed Marcus? Thanks, you've saved me a job. Now, would you mind telling me who you are?"

She was ready to lose the helmet, when Huth spoke again. "If you don't tell me, I'll be forced to call in a little favour from the Cop Shop. I'm sure they'd love to know about a dangerous Blue Suns merc hiding in the atrium. If you know what we're up to, which I think you do, and you're trying to stop us, which I think you are, then I bet a lockdown would really suit you right about now, eh?"

This was the moment. She could turn, run, and let Shepard die. Or fight, because this _was_ it.

"This is Illium," she said into the helmet, "not Khar'Shan, or Korlus, or some other backwater dump! Cops here rule the streets – not the other way around – and it's all thanks to people like Marcus, who are willing to talk. You're right, Huth, I do know what you're up to. But no, I'm not _trying_ to stop you – I'm _going_ to stop you. So here's a tip: leave the _Normandy_'s dock, and get on that hijacked freighter of yours, because the lockdown starts right now!"

Tirahin leant into the bar's store room and punched the fire alarm. Sirens erupted all around. People ran from the atrium.

"What did you do?" said Huth. "You're no cop!"

"Tracking Officer Dara, at your service, batarian!" said Tirahin.

"Dara? But – "

There was a terrible sound of twisting metal.

"No!" said Huth. "Kavem, stop the ship!"

Tirahin looked out of the large window. Directly below, a freighter wrenched away from its mooring, sending the vestibule crashing down the side of the skyscraper. She stepped back, aimed her omni-tool at the massive pane, and fired an explosive plasma round. The glass cracked, but didn't shatter. She closed her eyes and charged, smashing straight through the window.

Thudding against the freighter's massive hull, her impact was lessened with a biotic field. The ship's thrusters fired. Tirahin flung herself towards a nearby emergency hatch. Breaking the lock, she dropped into the hold.

The ship had no outboard armaments, which meant that if the Suns' plan was still live, Huth's cannon was somewhere inside. And any weapon capable of destroying a frigate as advanced as the _Normandy_ (that is, if Liara's description of the old _Normandy_ was anything to go by) must surely be in one of the large cargo holds. Well, one of the holds except this one, which was stacked to the brim with foodstuffs.

Tirahin made her way further into the ship. She arrived astern, having encountered no resistance, and cautiously entered the aft hold. A large, mounted cannon lay in the centre of the floor, facing the port bay door. It shimmered turquoise, protected by a shield unlike anything she'd seen before. Her biotic attacks couldn't breach the barrier. Its power source was behind the shield itself, presumably remote-activated. Her omni-tool identified the weapon as a formidable mass-accelerator, carrying a radiation-emitting bomb. Wrapped in a phasic envelope at launch, the tungsten slug could penetrate a ship's kinetic barriers and pierce its hull.

Their intent wasn't to destroy the _Normandy_! They wanted the crew dead by radiation pulse! Did they desire the ship? Or Shepard's body? The Shadow Broker had once sought the latter; maybe he was still after it, pulling the mercenaries' strings. Either way, she guessed that the _Normandy_ was supposed to be attacked when berthed, where Huth waited. Killing the crew now would see the ship crash over Nos Astra. Perhaps that was still acceptable.

At that moment, the ship banked hard to port. When it levelled out, the port bay door creaked into life. Tirahin stood firm in the burst of air. Tasale's orange glare spilled into the hold, as the door reclined completely, revealing the vast, glistening cityscape far below. Above the wind noise, Tirahin heard moving servos. The cannon had extended its barrel, and was slowly tracking from the freighter's bow. She edged as close to the open door as she dared, and looked out. The _Normandy_ was coming, the sunset reflecting from its hull, its iconic shape unmistakable.

* * *

"What's that freighter doing?" said Captain Sesay, examining the sensor readings from the bridge of the Cerberus _SR-2_ prototype ship, codenamed _Orthus_.

"_Athabasca-_class freighter, _MSV Thoresend_," said EDI, the ship's AI – or more specifically, its Enhanced Defence Intelligence – from beside the captain, her spherical, holographic shape flickering. "Course correction indicates the ship is making for orbit."

"We're still running silent?"

"Green across the board, sir," said Helmsman Stokes.

The captain leaned over and keyed the intercom. "Donnelly, keep an eye on the emission sinks. I don't want another screw-up like Tremar, understood?"

"Yes, sir," said Power Engineer Donnelly, in a thick, Scottish accent.

There was a pause, in which the engineer's comm terminal remained open.

"Can you believe that, Gabby?" said Donnelly. "He still thinks it was my fault! What an arsehole!"

"Kenneth, the comm's still open…" said Propulsion Engineer Daniels.

Donnelly's terminal quickly disconnected.

Captain Sesay rolled his eyes. "I sure hope Shepard's accruing patience. Otherwise, when the beauty sleep's over, there's gonna be a man – one very specific man – overboard."

The captain looked out of the bridge windows, trying to pinpoint the incoming freighter. "Any risk of visual ID?"

"The _Thoresend_ is now within six kilometres of the _Orthus_, and closing," said EDI. "If we remain on our present trajectory, there is significant risk of visual identification. I recommend we return to orbit."

"Why not change our heading?"

"We're between shipping lanes, sir," said the helmsman. "The kind of correction required may lead to other ships spotting us. The only sure way to avoid detection is to abandon our run."

"Precisely," said EDI.

"Damn it!" Nos Astra was one of the few places in the galaxy where they could push the stealth systems to their limits. "Will there be another window today?"

"Negative, captain," said EDI.

"Alright. Maintain our current heading."

"Sir?"

"We didn't come all this way to leave data-less. You're a talented pilot, Mr Stokes; I trust you to slip us through unseen."

"Yes, sir."

* * *

Tirahin faced the cannon, planting her feet and dropping into neutral pelvis. As the barrel tracked towards her, she activated her omni-tool, and loaded a copy of her and Liara's holo, taken in Nos Libertos. She smiled.

The _Normandy_ was about to pass them. Even at this distance it was noticeably larger than the ship that Liara had described. Tirahin activated her tech armour, then mustered all of her focus and strength. She created a colossal biotic wall, which filled the bay doorway.

The cannon fired. Its explosive cacophony threatened her resolve. The slug penetrated her wall. She mustn't let it pass, no matter what. Her biotics flared. A mass effect bubble surrounded her, capturing the bomb. It detonated. The blast was held, but magnified, within her reinforced shell.

The _Thoresend_ pointed to the stars. Tirahin's smouldering body fell from the hold, as the _Orthus_ _SR-2_ continued its flyby.

* * *

**The third and final part now available - see Chapter 3.  
**

Visit the official website www dot nosastranights dot com for a trailer, artwork, downloads, and more information. Thanks for reading!

Mass Effect (c) 2010 BioWare, Electronic Arts.

Nos Astra Nights (c) 2010 T.A. White.


	3. Wound

******Nos Astra Nights (M)  
**

**Part 3: Wound  
**

_What follows the Eclipse?_

_

* * *

_

The lights were bright. Not the goddess…

Another asari appeared, her face obscured by a watery film. "You're OK, it's me."

Elnora…Tirahin blinked, revealing her friend's warm, smiling face. "Where am I?" Her voice was distant.

"The Eclipse base, near the commercial spaceport. You fell from that freighter. Do you remember?"

Tirahin closed her eyes. "Yes."

"A biotic field must've broken your fall."

Tirahin nodded, and tried to sit up. Her limbs ached. "A poor excuse for a field." She lay back down.

"Strong enough to save your life."

"How long was I asleep?"

Elnora squeezed her hand. "Awhile. You were in a coma."

Tirahin's eyes dilated, which was about all that her broken body could do to convey shock.

"I should've known you were up to something when you came to see me. I guess I thought you really had called just for me – that those questions about the Suns were innocent, and you simply cared enough to say goodbye before you left."

"I cared. I still care."

Elnora gazed into her eyes. "I know."

Tirahin cranked her head to the left. There were seven other beds in the ward, all of them empty.

"They told me you were waking up, so I ran down here. It's the middle of the night, though we're expecting some injured returning from a team over at the harbours. Those beds may be full by morning."

Tirahin turned back to her friend. "So, you made it."

"Into the Sisterhood? Not really."

Tirahin furrowed her brow.

"I live and work in the base now – cleaning, admin, nursing," she nodded to Tirahin, "and if they're in a good mood, preparing the weapons – but I'm not an initiate. From speaking with the others though, this is how they got their starts. So I've just got to keep my head down and do what I'm told.

"Bet you never thought you'd beat me to it, huh?"

Tirahin raised her eyebrows.

"You killed that Suns merc in the old cab depot. We found his body. The boss was very impressed. And since Eclipse rescued you, she thought it only fair that…" Elnora pointed at Tirahin's chest.

She looked down to find herself dressed in a yellow and black Eclipse jump suit.

Elnora smiled. "Welcome to the Sisterhood."

* * *

When Tirahin woke again, she was in a different room. The bedside clock told her it was the following morning. Her body had limbered a little, so she sat on the edge of the mattress. She was in personal quarters; though judging by the king-size bed, ample space, and en suite bathroom, this wasn't the typical mercenary's sleeping arrangement.

She stood up, stretched, and walked to the bathroom. She caught sight of her reflection in the mirror – and stopped dead. A terrible scar halved her face, from cheek to cheek, across the bridge of her nose. The helmet must've collapsed into her when she hit the ground. Though it looked more like someone had cracked her across the face with one of the poles that she used to twist herself around. She tried to smile, failing to quell tears. What had she become? Stood in a mercenary base, dressed in their uniform, and with a man's death to her name, she no longer knew. A disfigured face merely completed her descent.

And what of Shepard? Was the commander alive? Had the _Normandy_ crashed and burned? She could hardly ask the Eclipse and still preserve Shepard's secrecy. Perhaps an extranet search would turn something up, since the Blue Suns hadn't been as discreet as they'd planned.

She returned to the bedroom to search for a data terminal. The door to the quarters suddenly _whooshed_ open, and an asari strode in, dressed in unfamiliar armour. Tirahin recognised her face immediately, from the turian police officer's datapad, which she'd glimpsed during her infiltration of the Blue Suns hideout. Her facial markings were even more striking in person, like a cross between a rouge exoskeleton and war paint.

"Glad to see you're feeling better. I'm Captain Wasea, and these are my quarters. I trust they're preferable to the med-bay?"

Tirahin didn't reply.

The captain crossed to a small table in the corner, and poured two glasses of a black spirit. She offered one to Tirahin, who shook her head. Captain Wasea shrugged, and downed both drinks.

"I don't know if Elnora has told you, but I deeply admire the way in which you took down that Suns bastard. It's precisely the kind of skill that Eclipse is renowned for, but is something that few initiates can demonstrate."

"What makes you think it was me?"

"Elnora told me that you'd asked about the Blue Suns, and that you were going after them. In the interests of Eclipse security, I had her wait for you in the old depot. She saw everything."

Tirahin looked at the floor.

"Yes, extremely astute, that one. She'll be a valuable sister, and sooner than she thinks. If it wasn't for her, we would never have found you. You would've died in the lower city."

The captain stepped closer. "Of course, we know why you pursued the Blue Suns. The question is, was it worth it?"

Tirahin swallowed. "Yes…I wanted this." She ran her hand along her uniform's sleeve.

The captain raised her eyebrows.

"I hated my job, you see – I was a dancer at Eternity, for twenty years – and I wanted something better. I thought evicting the Suns would get me that, and it has."

The captain considered this, then smiled. "Well, I'm glad that you saw fit to advance your career. Indeed, when you're ready, you'll be assigned to my personal squad."

"Thank you, captain." Tirahin bowed her head.

"Oh, that reminds me. We have your omni-tool. It's practically an antique, which makes your combat display even more remarkable. It was pretty beaten up, but it fascinated our engineers. They've managed to restore it to full functionality. Though I wouldn't try spending any credits – the banks have it tagged, after that adept act of fraud you committed."

Her father's omni-tool…She'd feared the worst. She beamed, the uncomfortable stretching in her face telling her that she hadn't used those muscles in a long time.

"In fact, it's probably best not to leave the base at all. Though the authorities can't prove it, they suspect you didn't arrive on Omega, and that you're still here, living another life. I wouldn't want you to be arrested."

"Understood."

"Well, your omni-tool's in the armoury – take a right, and follow the corridor to the end of the hall."

"Did you recover my armour too?"

"It was unsalvageable. I'm sorry. But when you're ready you can meet with the engineers; they'll tailor a suit to meet your requirements."

Well, at least it was better than losing her omni-tool. "Thank you, captain. I don't know what to say."

"You just take it easy."

Captain Wasea made for the door. She stopped and looked back. "I'll send Elnora over this afternoon. And I'd be delighted if you'd join me for dinner after sunset. Right here, of course."

"I'd be honoured, captain."

"Excellent. And call me Wasea."

* * *

The data terminal in Wasea's room was locked, so Tirahin visited the armoury, retrieved her omni-tool, and logged into a public terminal therein. On discovering a multitude of recent extranet reports, which claimed that Shepard had been sighted in and around the Traverse, she couldn't quite believe what she was reading. Someone had even taken a holo of the new _Normandy_, docked at Omega. It was the ship that she'd glimpsed above Nos Astra. It didn't sink in. She'd saved Shepard. She'd _actually_ saved Shepard and the _Normandy_.

Another Eclipse entered the armoury and said, "Hi."

Tirahin didn't hear. She was euphoric, and practically floated back into the corridor, her remaining aches and pains disappearing into thin air. She'd never experienced such an immense sense of achievement. Suddenly, it really was all worth it – her predicament, her scars, everything that she'd risked. She could die now and be happy; nothing else mattered. She'd made a difference in the universe.

She couldn't contain it, yet could tell no one around her. Liara! She had to tell Liara! Tirahin changed into civilian clothing and secretly left the Eclipse base, making her way up to the commercial spaceport. She hailed a cab, and flew to the Nos Astra Exchange. There was a risk that she'd be spotted by surveillance, but she didn't care.

As she flew, her mind raced. Maybe this would work out after all. She could join Liara, and together they'd leave Illium behind, pursuing Liara's lofty goals, just as Tirahin had dreamed. They could hunt the Shadow Broker, search for Prothean ruins, or, Goddess forbid, join Shepard, who was no doubt continuing the fight against the Reapers! She knew that she mustn't raise her hopes – Liara could be long gone – but she couldn't help it.

Arriving at the Exchange's transportation hub, Tirahin quickly made her way to Liara's office. The door was open; someone was home. Barely able to contain her excitement, she stepped inside.

Despite having never visited the office before, she found herself unable to observe the new surroundings. Liara had looked up from her desk, and their eyes were locked.

"Tirahin!" Liara jumped from her chair.

Tirahin grinned as they both crossed the room and embraced.

Liara pulled away, examining her scar. "What happened to you? Who did this?"

"I saved Shepard."

Liara frowned. "Shepard?"

"It put me in a coma, but I did it, for you."

"Tirahin, what are you saying?"

"I discovered a Blue Suns plot to kill Shepard, right here, on board the new _Normandy_. I stopped them."

Liara walked to her balcony, which overlooked the Exchange's busy trading floor. "You know that Shepard's dead. Have you read something on the extranet?"

"Yes I have. Come on, Liara, you've got contacts. Shepard's alive, and it's because of me!"

"Stop it!" Liara spun around to face her. "I don't care what the extranet says, Shepard's dead!"

"The Suns spoke Shepard's name! And I saw the _Normandy_ with my own eyes!"

"Then you were mistaken! The _Normandy_ died with Shepard! There is no other _Normandy_!"

"Liara, I think the Blue Suns were working for the Shadow Broker, trying to re-acquire Shepard's body! Let me join you. We can take him down together!"

"Enough!"

They stared at one another in silence.

Liara spoke first. "You can't join me."

"Why not?"

"I no longer require your assistance. I'm sorry."

Tirahin examined the ground.

"Look, I'm expecting a customer shortly. Why don't I stop by your apartment later?"

Tirahin nodded, smiling weakly.

"What time will you be home? Are you still dancing?"

The ground was about to swallow her. The dream was crumbling, and she couldn't bear to watch. All that she could think to do was to point at her scar.

"Oh, I'm sorry. But surely Brisaya can see past that? Or what about Nuri Pin? You're still beautiful."

Tirahin closed her eyes. They were having a normal conversation. It would've been just like before, were it not for the gaping hole in her heart.

Liara smiled. "Why don't I speak to them? I can be very persuasive."

"Thank you, but I'm done with that life."

"I understand. Well, how about I call at sunset?"

"Alright."

"Good." Liara sat down behind her desk. "I'll see you later, then."

"Goodbye, Liara."

Tirahin returned to the commercial spaceport. She found a quiet alley and slumped against the wall. Activating her omni-tool, she loaded the holo of herself and Liara in Nos Libertos. She wept.

* * *

Elnora found Tirahin above one of the Eclipse docking ports, gazing into the setting sun. "How're you doing?"

"I'm OK."

"Listen, I know you've seen the boss. She told you that I ratted you out, didn't she?"

Tirahin nodded.

"OK. Well, I want to apologise. I did it to help my chances with Eclipse. I'm sorry."

"It's alright." Tirahin turned to face her. "Besides, if you hadn't, I wouldn't be standing here. I'd be dead."

They both looked out over the dock.

"Wasea told me you'll be an initiate sooner than you think."

"Really? I wonder if it's something to do with the volus that everyone's talking about."

"What volus?"

"His name's Daki Curl, or something equally lame. He and his merchant friend have screwed us big time, and the talk is that he's ripe for someone's initiation murder. Could it be mine?"

"Elnora, I don't want you to kill anyone."

"That's sweet, coming from you!"

"Come with me instead."

"Come with you? Why, where're you going?"

"Omega."

Elnora laughed out loud. "Not again!"

"I'm leaving on the _AML Demeter_." Tirahin pointed over the balcony, at the moored asari vessel below.

"You're not serious?"

"Like I said, come with me."

Realisation slowly dawned on Elnora. "I can't leave. I want this too much."

"I know."

"Don't take the _Demeter_."

Tirahin frowned.

"We're smuggling an Ardat-Yakshi off-world." Elnora's nervous eyes met hers. "She's aboard the _Demeter_."

"Then I'll stay out of her way."

"Aren't you afraid? I thought they were just a superstition."

"It's a condition, nothing more. Though she shouldn't be roaming the galaxy."

"Well, rather you than me."

The _Demeter_'s drive core roared.

"I'd better go," said Tirahin.

Elnora pulled her into a hug.

"Be careful, Elnora."

She smiled. "I'm not the one going to Omega. You be careful."

"I'm sorry if you get into trouble with Wasea over this."

"Don't worry. She likes me. I'll tell her you took a long walk and didn't come back."

The _Demeter_'s thrusters fired. The ship eased from the dock.

Tirahin squeezed Elnora's hand, then turned and ran.

Elnora watched, as Tirahin reached the end of the gantry, and jumped. She floated towards the ship, wrapped in a biotic field, and landed on the hull. She slipped out of sight.

The _Demeter _cleared the dock, and was bathed in Tasale's fading sunlight.

* * *

**The End.**

I hope you enjoyed the story. Please let me know what you thought, either by posting a review here, or by paying a visit to the official website, where you can also find a trailer, artwork, downloads, and more information:**  
**

www dot nosastranights dot com

Thanks for reading! Until next time.

Mass Effect (c) 2010 BioWare, Electronic Arts.

Nos Astra Nights (c) 2010 T.A. White.


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